Agents of The Light
by Da.Hybrid.Queen
Summary: We were the ones responsible for allowing Middle Earth to fall into darkness, which made it our responsibility to bring it back to light. Even if that meant Middle Earth's people had to sacrifice their freedom to gain their security. Any who try to resist the change will pay with their lives. Middle Earth will belong to Furies once more.
1. Prologue

**AN: Hello all! This is my first attempt at a story. Let me start off by saying that updates will be slow because my thoughts seem to take forever to flow into my writing so everything needs to be perfect. This story is AU but only slightly in the sense of the new race I decided to add to Middle Earth. So, that's about it. Review, follow, and fav and please give feedback, nothing rude.**

Greed is the root of all evil some say. And so far nothing has occurred to prove that saying wrong. It is troubling to know that the world you used to call your home, the world that used to be so peaceful and agreeable, was now descending into darkness. But, I supposed that we had no one else to blame but ourselves. One selfish action was all it took for Middle Earth to be plunged into darkness.

Furies. That is what we are. We used to inhabit Middle Earth, as a counsel of sort to the many different races that lived there. We were the wisest of them all and the most trusted to make the right decision on everyone's behalf. With our guidance, Middle Earth was flourishing and prosperous, no one hated anyone, and there was only concern for the common good of the people. We had entrusted Middle Earth all those years ago to the different races, thinking that they would be able to continue in the path of light. But we were wrong, foolish and wrong. We were naïve to think that they would be able to stay pure and true to each other. Now Middle Earth was corrupt and dark, the pure light that it used to possess was almost all but gone.

We should know, for we had watched them descend into the darkness, never intervening because we wanted them to learn for themselves how to cooperate with one another. The old ways had been all but abandoned, the memories left to wither away and be blown away like leaves from a tree. We thought that if we gave them time, everything would change, and the people would go back to the way they once were. Time, in fact, does not heal all wounds. It only leaves the memories. In time things did not get better, they only got worse.

War. That was the result of time. We watched the darkness take over, and we watched Middle Earth's people try to overcome that evil. Their efforts proved successful and the agents of the darkness returned back to the abyss from which they came. But the bloodshed that had resulted had left a permanent stain on Middle Earth. For a time there was light once more, and it seemed that the treacherous deeds had been all but forgotten. But the darkness, the _evil_, was only lying in wait. It waited for an act of selfishness, waited for a tainted heart to come around for it to prey upon. Once it found a suitable host, it planted its seed, and that seed grew into something bitter.

Man was the easiest victim for the evil to prey upon. Their hearts were so easily consumed by want and their minds by hate that _we,_ the agents of light, thought to have them removed from Middle Earth in order to preserve the light. There were so many of them that it would be cruel to have an entire race slaughtered. But man was not the only race to fall prey to corruption. The dwarves came second, and then were the wizards, and lastly the elves. The elves were peaceful beings, not wanting war and bloodshed. They used to live amongst the rest of the races, as they all did. But once darkness first started to take over, they withdrew from the lands, fleeing into their own established kingdoms, far away from dwarves and men but still reachable. We could not blame them for wanting nothing to do with the likes of men and dwarves, but the prejudice and judgment that came with it was almost too much to bear. The dwarves called them selfish and conceited, for thinking themselves better and superior to the rest. Of course this was not true, but lies fuel hatred, and so hatred grew. Man called them cowardly, for fleeing once the darkness had gone for fear it would come back. The darkness did come back however, but the elves were not cowardly, nor were they selfish. The elves were noble, coming to the aid of the people.

There was the chance for peace, for the end of suffering, and an end to darkness once and for all, but once again, man was put to the test and failed. A heart was corrupted and darkness was allowed to thrive once more. Darkness consumed parts of Middle Earth, forcing some inhabitants to flee certain areas for their safety, and with the darkness came the orcs, the spiders, the balrogs, the trolls, and the dragons.

We were ashamed to have let the darkness spread and take over without interfering. We felt sorrow for our beloved Middle Earth was no more, and so to combat the sorrow we shut down. We chose to feel nothing, to shut off our emotions and block out that which we did not want to feel. For millennia we had abandoned Middle Earth, leaving its people to their own devices, but not anymore. The people were not the same people we had cared for, the evil creatures there did not used to exist, and the free will they used to have would be no more.

The Furian race would return, and with our return would come order, peace, and _light_. It didn't matter how many lives would be spent in order to regain the light, but that no longer mattered. We no longer cared about the freedom of the people, for freedom was a luxury not a right, and we had clearly given it out too freely. From this day forward, Middle Earth's people would have to earn their freedom, man, dwarf, and elf alike. We were no longer the kind and loving peacekeepers, they had died ages ago. Our sole purpose was to now restore order through force. Middle Earth's people do not react well to change, and with our coming will be _a lot_ of change. They will try to resist, try to fight us and the change that we will bring, but in the end they will all lose the battle.

We no longer had faith in Middle Earth as it currently was, so we will erase what has been created and start over. This time, leaving nothing to chance.


	2. Chapter 1

**AN:** The words in _italic _are Sindarian, three dots mean a POV switch, and a squiggle equals a time break.

"Queen Auzreha" a voice says. I turn to face my second in command, Toralei. She was standing in the entryway to the throne room, her yellow eyes shone bright throughout the dimness of the room, her cat-like pupils focused on me. I could tell she had just come back with her company. It had been a week since we made the decision to reclaim Middle Earth and I was dispatching a few of my furies to deliver a message. Her expression was hard, calculated, and blank; the expression all furies naturally assumed.

"What is it?" I asked my voice monotonous. I casually picked at my nails completely disinterested in whatever she was going to say. "I'm assuming everything is going according to plan" I deadpanned. She strode forward, coming further into the room, her black dress trailing along the ground behind her.

"It is your majesty; messengers have been sent to the throne room, of every kingdom in Middle Earth. Now we await your orders" she said with a slight incline of her head. I felt a small smirk tug at my lips, but it was humorless.

"Good. See to it that everyone is armed and ready, we leave at nightfall. What will be hours for us, shall be days for them. Once they realize we are coming it will be far too late" I instructed. She bowed slightly, before disappearing to carry out my orders. I stood from my seat on the throne, stretching my wings out to full length, flexing them. I was satisfied once I heard the distinct pop of joints that had grown stiff from disuse. I tucked them back into a resting position before walking out onto the rail less balcony. There was no need for a rail if you had wings.

I hummed in appreciation, feeling the sun hit my face. I closed my eyes, relishing in the comfortable warmth that it provided. Releasing a breath I didn't know I was holding, I felt myself relax. Tonight we would leave for Middle Earth, and we would take back what was ours.

**. . .**

"Your majesties!" a guard said running into my study, breathing heavily as though he had run all the way here, which could very well be a possibility.

"What's happened" I said standing, Arwen by my side as well, anxious to hear the news. We were looking over plans for our border defenses before we were interrupted.

"You must come to the throne room immediately. There is something you need to see" he said, swallowing heavily. Arwen and I looked to each other, equally curious as to what could be causing such uproar.

When we arrived there were guards, maids, and servants alike all gathered in the throne room. They made way for us, allowing us to the front so we could see, and what we saw made our jaws drop. There, stood in front of the throne was a woman with wings. I thought my eyes were deceiving me and I looked to Arwen, but she was staring straight ahead of her at the creature.

I recovered as best I could before speaking. "Who do you think you are to come in here and stand before the throne" I said surprisingly even.

"I am a messenger of Queen Auzreha" she said simply, her voice and face were void of any emotion. What I noticed next were her eyes, a bright yellow, with pupils of a cat. They were focused on me. There was no sign of uncertainty or fear; there was nothing that gave away any emotion.

"_What _are you?" I asked, not bothering with politeness. "I have never heard of any Queen Auzreha" I said certainly.

"I am an agent of the light. As for the matter of my Queen, you will hear of her soon enough" she said it in a way that sent a shiver through my body. Nothing good could possibly come from this.

The woman stepped to the side, revealing a bird engraved onto my throne. Not just any bird, a phoenix.

"This" she said, gesturing to the symbol that had been burned into the back of the throne "is the symbol of rebirth. We are coming to reclaim the lands that once were ours, and with it the people of Middle Earth" she said. Her voice was stern, and she spoke at a volume so all could hear her.

"In a few days' time, we will be upon you. We will destroy the evil and darkness that plagues Middle Earth, and with it any heart that has been tainted by darkness. Do not bother to resist, for that will only bring about your demise. If we have to, we shall destroy all who stand in our way, man, dwarf, and elf alike and reshape the lands in our image. _Light _shall reign once more" she finished. Before I could reply or ask a single question, she stretched her wings to full length and with one flap, had taken flight. The screams and shouts of startled maids and guards filled the room as the creature flew around them, her wings dangerously close to our heads. A stained glass window was the only thing that separated her from the outside, but that proved to be no obstacle as she broke through it, disappearing into the cover of the clouds. A deafening screech and broken glass was all she left in her wake.

**. . .**

King Thranduil furiously paced his throne room, while his advisor and son looked on in a nervous silence. Neither of them said a word for fear of becoming unwilling recipients of his rage. He would occasionally stop his pacing to look at the symbol that had been engraved into his throne, concern crossing his features before becoming even angrier and continued to pace the floors into oblivion. The two ellon had been watching this happen for quite some time, mustering the courage to interrupt his thoughts. They had received word that an attack had been made on the king, and hurriedly made their way to the throne room. When they arrived, they found no attacker, but instead saw Thranduil's guards lying on the floor unconscious. The king himself had appeared to be shaken but otherwise unharmed. They looked to each other, silently asking if it was wise to intervene. Legolas nodded once before stepping forward.

"_Father, surely you cannot be this outraged over mere vandalism. What is it that really concerns you?" _Thranduil temporarily stopped his pacing to look at his son. He saw the worry and slight fear that was etched across his fair face. He felt guilty for worrying him and being so preoccupied with his thoughts that he had forgotten that there were others in the room. He also felt pride that his son was able to read him so well, but that was quickly short lived as he realized he would have to explain the nature of the situation.

Legolas looked his father in the eyes and saw the multitude of emotions that swam beyond the deep blue of his orbs. His father had always been an imposing figure in his eyes, always carrying himself with an almost effortless regality. It had taken him years to learn to read him, from his time as an elfling until now. His face was always hard and emotionless, but what gave away his true feelings were his eyes. Everything that was never spoken between them was interpreted through simple eye contact. It was awhile before Thranduil spoke, but when he did his words were less than reassuring.

"_I have only seen this symbol once, and it was in my elflinghood during my studies. From what I remember, a phoenix is a symbol of rebirth and new life. It can mean something good, but it can also mean something bad. I fear this time it may be the latter. With this symbol comes a message, from a deity so ancient that they stretch back as far as that of Middle Earth itself" _he said cryptically. The grave undertone of his voice creating a sense of urgency that only spoke of trouble.

"_What deity my lord?" _the advisor Daeron spoke from beside the prince. Thranduil visibly swallowed.

"Furies"

"_I want word sent to every Elven kingdom in Middle Earth, they must be made aware of this threat if they aren't already" _Thranduil ordered, his quick footsteps reverberating through the long passageways in the cave. Rissien nodded his understanding and left to fulfill his task, leaving father and son to walk down the halls towards Thranduil's study.

"_Father, do Furies even exist? No one has ever seen or heard of one except in lure and stories" _Legolas said. He watched his father hastily enter the room, and begin to scour the numerous shelves of books, before pulling out the right one. The thing was a huge leather bound book, which had to contain thousands of pages. The prince could feel his eyebrows shoot up in surprise as he took in the enormity of it. He caught his father's eye and earned a smirk cast in his direction.

"_It contains record of every creature in Middle Earth, extinct and current" _the king explained, deciphering the look on his son's face that reminded him so much of his wife that sometimes it hurt. It would take time to go through this book in its entirety, time that the king feared they did not have. He would call a council meeting, and there they would scour over any and all ancient texts that would give them insight on the threat that they faced. The imposing threat of being overrun by a powerful force that they had no hope to defeat was something that did not settle well in his stomach.

"_What happened in the throne room?" _he heard Legolas ask. He halted his movements looking up, startled at the question. He supposed he shouldn't have been surprised at his son's curiousness. It was a trait that he had admired in him since his birth, but it had also landed him in the healing ward one too many times once he started to mature. Not even Daeron had bothered to ask the events that took place before his arrival, too relieved to see the king in one piece to bother bringing up the topic. Thranduil sighed, marking a page in the book before closing it.

"One of them came before me, claiming to be 'an agent of the light' she said" Thranduil explained hesitantly, switching back to the common tongue. "She spoke of her Queen, Auzreha. She said that they would destroy any and all evil in Middle Earth, even if it also required them to eradicate every race that resides in it currently" he spoke gravely. He watched his son's expression go from worried to one of determination.

"What would you have me to do?" he said. There was no fear about the way Legolas asked the question. He knew his son was a skilled warrior, and would defend his home and his realm until death. Death. Legolas was the only remaining family he had left, and the heir to the throne. If anything happened to him that would be enough to bring on the king's downfall as well. He would succumb to his grief until he started to fade, or until he was forced to sail to the Undying Lands. But if Middle Earth was doomed to die, it would not matter if he sailed or not. He would rather die fighting to protect his home realm than to see its destruction.

"I want you to travel to Gondor. Hold counsel with King Elessar, and inform him of the threat. I fear there will be war" Legolas was told. He nodded once, before turning to leave.

"Legolas" Thranduil called after his son. "Be careful" he said. Legolas was startled at the sudden change in demeanor but quickly recovered.

"I will try"


	3. Chapter 2

*Aragorn POV*

"Stupid phoenix, stupid bird lady with her talk of light. She looks more like a dark elf with wings to me" Gimli whined for the umpteenth time. The dwarf had surprised me with a visit a few days after the incident involving 'the bird lady' as he called her. He had complained that his cousin wrote to him of a phoenix symbol, and how a bird woman appeared in his throne room. He had volunteered to make the journey to Gondor once word from all of the dwarven kingdoms reached his ear complaining of the same thing. He knew Aragorn would help him if this turned out to be something serious.

"Gimli, do not talk that way! She may be listening to this conversation somehow at this very moment" the wizard who had been quiet up until that moment, spoke harshly. His pipe was in his mouth and every few moments he would take a puff, the rings of smoke spiraling upwards towards the ceiling.

"How is that possible?" I asked, from his spot at the head of the table. He too had been lost in thought, still startled over the events that had taken place in his throne room just days prior. Gandalf as usual, had showed up out of the blue. For a time, no one knew where he was until now.

"Saruman used the same method to spy on us during the War of The Ring. A simple spell would be able to enchant any mirror or orb, and allow one to see what he wishes" the wizard explained ruefully. I nodded, remembering those events vividly though I'd much rather forget.

"King Elessar" a guard called from the doorway. I turned to him nodding in acknowledgment. "You have another visitor" he said, before stepping aside. I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face.

"Your late" I said, before pulling Legolas into a tight embrace, one he eagerly returned.

"Well a certain pointy-eared elf finally decided to show up! We've been waiting for ye' lad" Gimli said by way of greeting. Legolas shook his head, but smiled none the less. Gandalf nodded his greeting, Legolas nodding back.

"It's nice to see you as well Gimli" he said, his eyes holding a mischievous glint.

"As much as I'd love to continue exchanging pleasantries I fear there is something more serious at hand" the elf said, all mirth gone from his eyes and his face held certain seriousness I had only seen a handful of times.

"It wouldn't happen to be about a woman with wings and the symbol of a phoenix would it?" Gandalf asked, more focused on his pipe than making eye contact. Legolas face went from serious to confused in the span of a few seconds.

"Yes. My father spoke of one in his throne room, telling him about-"

"Being an agent of the light and destroying all darkness on Middle Earth. We've all been over this before ye' arrived" Gimli said rolling his eyes. "I would've paid my weight in gold to see the look on Thranduil's face" he added with a chortle of laughter.

"Correct, but my father has told me the 'bird woman' of which you speak is called a fury" Legolas said without missing a beat. Gandalf lost all interest in his pipe, which clattered to the floor. His face held uncertainty and concern, as he searched Legolas' face for any sign that he had misheard.

"A fury" he said softly, his voice filled with awe and fear.

"So you've heard of them. What are they? Where do they come from?" I asked my interest peaked. Everyone around me took a seat at the table. We all sensed a story, and we listened attentively as Gandalf began his tale.

"Furies are ancient deities that once ruled Middle Earth. They are wise beings, and they showed care and compassion for all of Middle Earth. But that was ages ago, back when there was no darkness in the world. No orcs, dragons, evil, or spiders, there was only peace. _Light_ as they call it" Gandalf explained, waving his hands in the air as he spoke.

"Care and compassion" Gimli scoffed. "I've seen more compassion in an uruk" he said, pounding his fist on the table in dramatics.

"The one that came here broke a window" I said dryly. All eyes turned to me.

"How?" Legolas asked in disbelief.

"She flew right through it" I said, with a shrug of the shoulders as if the whole thing was no bother. It had taken hours to clean up all of the glass, not to mention another would have to be made. The throne room had a slight draft as it was already. Arwen had volunteered to see that another was ordered.

"What made them so _evil_? They sound like they used to be kind people" Legolas asked. Gandalf shook his head.

"As I was saying, they entrusted Middle Earth to the people, thinking that if we continued on in the way they showed us, we would continue to live in peace. I'm pretty sure you know how that went" he said, bending over to retrieve his fallen pipe. He blew it off before placing it back into his mouth. Each of us nodded, having an idea of how that went. Badly.

"Anyways, they were saddened and angered to see how we had all destroyed the goodness in Middle Earth. They blamed themselves for not stopping the darkness while they had the chance, but in reality there is no one to blame but ourselves. This must be why they marked each kingdom with a phoenix" Legolas nodded beside me.

"Thranduil says that it is a symbol of rebirth"

"He is correct. But the underlying meaning of 'rebirth' is what disturbs me" the wizard confided.

"I believe they plan to return, and destroy all of the evil. Once that is done, they will attempt to take over the kingdoms of each race since they no longer see us as worthy to hold such responsibility. If we resist them they will show no mercy" Gandalf said, his eyes downcast. For a time the room was silent. No one said a word as we all went over what we had just learned.

"So that's it then? We're all going to die?" Gimli asked quietly. We were all thinking it, but hear it out loud was something different entirely.

"Not unless we resist. But there has to be some way to convince them to leave us alone" Gnadalf said. Legolas perked up, but only slightly.

"We could attempt to reason with them. Gandalf, you did say that they believe we are incapable of living in peace with each other, correct?" Legolas asked. When the wizard nodded, he continued. "If we can prove to them that we can get along with each other, then there may be a chance Middle Earth can be saved" he reasoned.

"A slim chance laddie, very slim, almost non-existent" Gimli said. We all and turned to look at the dwarf with blank faces.

"What?!" he exclaimed. "I can't be the only one who was thinkin' it!" he said defensively.

"Well, a chance is a chance master dwarf" Gandalf said. "We should try reasoning with her, but it should be done quickly. I fear they will be upon us soon" he said tersely.

"How? It isn't as though we can simply send her a message" I asked.

"Ah, now that is where you are mistaken. It isn't a message per say, but a summoning" Gandalf said mischievously.

"We will need the consent of all the kingdoms before we can do such a thing" I supplied informatively. Gandalf nodded.

"I am aware. Legolas you will return to The Woodland Realm, Gimli will hold a counsel with the dwarf kingdoms, and I will send word to a few friends of mine" the wizard said. Aragorn, a meeting must be held here in Gondor as I'm sure each kingdom, elf, dwarf, and man will want to be present" he finished. We all nodded, understanding the roles we would play in this upcoming confrontation. The furies were coming, and there was no stopping it.

**. . . **

It amused me at how courageous they could be in the face of defeat. Admirable qualities, but they would only cause trouble. They mean to resist us, and I'm counting on that. I turned away from the orb, severing the connection completely. The wizard is a clever one, and he would soon die than watch us reclaim Middle Earth, so I would oblige him.

"What did you see my lady?" Toralei asked, walking along beside me.

"The inhabitants of Middle Earth seek counsel with us" I informed her. She chuckled dryly at the predicament they were in.

"They are foolish. Brave, but foolish. And will we oblige them?" she asked. That was the question of the day. If anything I would oblige their request, if only to too see them fail in their attempts to sway us.

"Yes, we will oblige them. They think that they can prove to us, they are worthy of their freedom and worthy of Middle Earth. But they will fail in their attempts, and we will watch them burn" I said simply.

"I do not follow" Toralei said blankly. I smirked.

"There is a rising threat in the East. A certain orc lord wishes to have Middle Earth as well as us. His forces are not yet strong to wage war against them. He is calling upon any and all evil to assist him, and there are several orcs flocking to join his ranks" I said. Toralei only hummed in response.

"Ready an escort, I leave for Middle Earth. It seems I will be visiting them myself soon" I said. "I want you to keep a close eye on Mordor. It is where the orc lord is residing until his forces grow stronger. Patrol there, and when I return I want a full report" I said. Toralei inclined her head to me, before flying off. A company of furies awaited me outside of the throne, flanking me as I took flight.

"We make way to Middle Earth!" I called over the wind.


	4. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Okay just to be sure there is no confusion of the time lapse between the furies and Middle Earth. The furies are not on Middle Earth per say. They live somewhere akin to The Undying Lands but not quite; to be honest I'm making the furies up as I go along. A few hours to a fury would be a couple of days on Middle Earth, and days to a fury could be months on ME. Since they are flying to Middle Earth it will take at least a few days. They do exist in Greek mythology and I liked the idea of them being creatures in Middle Earth.**

Two days. That's how long it took me to reach my father's kingdom. I refused to stop for rest as elves hardly slept as it was. Sleeping would only take up too much time. Even I had to admit the proposal I made at the meeting was farfetched. If what Gandalf said about the furies coming to reclaim Middle Earth was true, then we could only pray that the Valar were on Middle Earth's side. As I rode the last few miles, I couldn't help but think of the many different outcomes this potential war could have. There was a slight chance that the furies would agree to our pleas and allow us to prove ourselves worthy, but even then they would only give us a fixed amount of time. However if they did not, there is no telling what fate would befall us.

Thranduil paced the room, being the only one standing in the meeting. _"So what you're trying to say, is that you want to summon the creatures who intend to do us harm in the hopes of negotiating with them" _he said, hoping that what his son had just told him was a joke. If not, then he would definitely see to it that he received thorough lessons on war and politics. Apparently the ones he had received in prior years weren't up to par.

"_Essentially, yes" _Legolas said. I knew my father well enough to know that he currently doubted my sanity. Now that the time had come for me to address him directly, I couldn't help but cringe at how much better the idea had sounded in my head. I was already under enough pressure as it was, but what I hadn't counted on was that all elven royalty throughout the kingdoms would also be present. Father had wasted no time in sending out messages to each kingdom, and apparently the response from all had been to hold counsel. We needed to figure out our next move and no one seemed to have any good ideas to counter my proposal.

"_Are you certain that this is the only option we have"_ Elrond said uncertainly. He had made the three day journey from Rivendell along with his sons Elladan and Elrohir. I sighed, knowing that this was no easy endeavor and if we did not tread carefully it could result in our deaths.

"_Truthfully we have no option at all. If the furies honor their promises then I fear that we will have no choice but to fight, as I'm sure no one here would be willing to see our realm's destruction. Even if it costs our lives"_ I said. My words had the desired effect, as everyone took a moment to weigh what I had just said carefully. I felt no reason to give them false hope. I would not make promises that everyone knew couldn't be kept.

It was a while before anyone spoke, but I was surprised when Thranduil did.

"_What exactly will be taking place at this summoning?" _he asked. I could tell he still doubted my plan, but I doubt anyone cared at this point. If this didn't work, which no one believed it would, then we were all doomed to die anyway. What harm could negotiation do?

"_We would summon them here with the help of Gandalf, then attempt to reason with their queen. If it goes successfully then they would state their terms" _I supplied. Another silence ensued, but this one was the one that would decide our fates. Father sighed before nodding his head in consent.

"_Does anyone have any objections, if so speak now or forever hold your peace" _he said, eyes scanning the room. When no one said anything he nodded once more.

"_Before we can make the journey to Gondor we must see to it that we have our forces organized and ready should the need for battle arise" _he said his voice stern with the kingly authority it always held. Everyone agreed to send word back to their kingdoms, mobilizing their troops and letting them know to be ready. Soon after the room was clearing out, the only ones that continued to stay were Elladan and Elrohir.

I groaned, knowing whatever they wanted to say was either going to be an instigating jest or a statement that would irritate me. Just dealing with one of them for a long period of time had to be some form of punishment, but the two of them together was just trouble.

"I must say Legolas, in all the years we've known each other this would have to be hands down, the most stupidest plan you've ever had" Elladan said, that annoying smirk plastered on his face. But underneath of the cocky façade I could see uneasiness and fear. They always knew how to brighten up someone's foul mood by trying to joke around. It was a welcomed distraction from the stress all of this was causing.

"You're one to talk considering the stunts you two always pull" I said, knowing that they had been in their fair share of compromising and dangerous situations. All of which they had willingly played a generous part in. It's a miracle that Elrond managed to put up with them all these years. Valar knows I would have burst into flames from all of the trouble they tended to get into, and considering the three of us are frequently together I usually get sucked into it.

"True" Elrohir said cheekily, clapping me on my shoulder.

**. . .**

"So what ye' mean to say is, we face death in all outcomes between these furies" Dain said, trying to make sense of everything. Gimli had done all that was asked of him. He had assembled all of the dwarf lords to have a council meeting and so far they had been excepting of what he had told them.

"Pretty much, but I'd rather go down fightin' than to see Middle Earth the hands of a bunch a' trollops" Gimli said. Gandalf had warned him of his language regarding the way he spoke of the furies. But after having lost count of how much ale he had consumed during the hour, his lips had been loosened.

"Aye, I couldn't agree with ye' more" Dain said. "Who else'll be fightin'?" he asked, refilling his own pint.

"King Elessar will hold counsel in his kingdom, and Legolas is holding counsel with Thranduil" Gimli informed. "They will be fightin' with us"

"Now we're doomed to fight alongside a bunch a' pointy-eared, self-concerned freaks" Dain mumbled under his breath. Gimli didn't know what stirred in him, perhaps it was just the ale, but the dwarf found himself rising in defense to his friend.

"Now I'll tolerate none of that. Not all elves are alike and perhaps there was a time I would've said the same thing, but I'll have you know that Prince Legolas is nothing like Thranduil. In the way he sees dwarves I mean" Gimli said, trailing off awkwardly towards the end.

"So yer' friends with him then" Dain said, not even the least bit offended.

"I am" Gimli said confidently. "Although that elf still swears to this day he killed 43 orcs in the Battle of Helm's Deep" he said ruefully. The rest of that conversation consisted of war talk and the arrangement of troops, over countless pints of ale. But the sober part of Gimli's brain couldn't help but remind him how this may very well be his last drink amongst kin. He could only hope Legolas choice to negotiate was right.


End file.
